Can a Low Carb and High Protein Diet Plan Build Huge Muscles?

by
BRYAN BERG July 18, 2017

Bryan Berg

Bryan Berg is a freelance writer based in Long Island, NY. He has been writing since 2002 about personal finance, sports and parenting. He is a contributing writer to eHow Money and LIVESTRONG.COM. He has a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Hofstra University.

Strength training and protein consumption are synonymous with building huge muscles.

It's no secret that consuming lots of protein is key to building muscle mass. However, your other food choices can also play a role in muscle building. For example, many people have gone on low-carb diets, usually aided by strength-building exercise, to lose weight and look thinner. The combination of these two dieting disciplines sounds promising in theory, but it may come at a cost.

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Bulking Up

The theory that muscle weighs more than fat has been perpetuated due to the fact that people with huge muscles generally weigh more than people with average-sized muscles. That's because they need a larger amount of food to feed their muscles. While many people attempt to lose weight to achieve their desired look, bodybuilders and other strong people often have to eat more to add to their frames. This can often involve eating large amounts of protein and carbohydrates.

High-protein Diets

High-protein diets have long been a staple of muscle seekers. Bodybuilding.com recommends consuming at least 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means you could consume 300 g or more of protein in a day. On the plus side, your muscles will be able to grow significantly, allowing you to develop the huge muscles you're looking for.

Low-carb Diets

Since the advent of the Atkins diet, many people have been slashing carbs in an attempt to lose weight quickly. The result is that weight loss is definitely possible through a low-carb diet; however, the diet does pose dangers if it goes too far. For instance, some foods that are low in carbs are also high in fat, putting your heart health at risk. In addition, a low-carb diet may not provide the level of energy you need to function at your desired level.

Combining High Protein and Low Carb

A diet that is high in protein and low in carbs, can lead to a healthy look, but it isn't likely to produce excessively large muscles. The problem with this approach is that a low-carb diet wouldn't adequately feed your muscles with the nutrients needed to expand. Going on a low-carb and high-protein diet would likely lead to you losing some of your lean mass, defeating the entire purpose of muscle growth. Furthermore, a low-carb diet may take away some of your energy, which would then sap your motivation for working out, thereby making your muscles even smaller. At the same time, piling on the carbs would take away from your cut look, so moderate your carb intake to achieve the best mix of muscle growth and fit appearance.